You Only Have Strengths, Not Weaknesses!

Regarding the way that the Father has decided to live in us, through Jesus and by the Holy Spirit in our Adoption is noted plainly in 1 Cor 12:4-11!

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

1st – did you notice the Trinitarian way in which God gives Himself to us in verses 4, 5, 6? “The Same Spirit”, “The Same Lord”, “The Same God”? Yes, the Trinity is all up in this Gift thing; this giving of Himself to us in Special and Distinct ways FOR THE COMMON GOOD!

And if the Father, Son and Spirit has given himself to you in a Special and Distinct way (or ways), doesn’t that mean that if you have the gift of the utterance of wisdom, it is not a weakness for you not to speak in various kinds of tongues if God has not shared that with you?

(Think of how much more the Church would participate in the unity it already has in Christ if we really understood and embraced that truth?! Wowsa! Revolutionary Change!)

Are you getting my point though?

Because He who has adopted us has chosen to live in us in a certain way and he is the very definition of strength, aren’t we strong if he lives in us in the way he has given himself to us? That couldn’t be weak! And if he has chosen to live in me as he sees fit, and not in some other way, how could not having a particular gift be a weakness for me? It couldn’t possibly be a weakness because it has not even been given to me to be weak with!!

To understand this truth is to understand that:

1.) You are many times unnecessarily demanding too much of other people (like your spouse, pastor, denominational leaders, peers, etc.), and you are the cause of your own disappointment because of failing to understand that no one outside of God the Trinity is fully endowed with the traits of God the Trinity!

2.) You are many times too susceptible to the negative “I am not’s” of the adversary because he has subtly convinced you (and me) that not to be gifted in certain ways is a weakness (he is up to his same tricks “you can be like God!” – onmi-competent!) At its worst, not having a particular gift at the choosing of the Spirit is simply a “non strength” (as I heard Pastor Gordon Smith say once.)

3.) You MUST gather with other believers regularly to be encouraged and receive their ONLY strength/s in the Spirit (which makes each believers “non strength/s” irrelevant!!!)

It would be the STRONG Church of the Father’s’ Dance and Dream if each believer obeyed Jesus and showed up in the believing community participating with everyone else in the Gift/s of the Spirit’s choosing! Then would arise the saying “Church, STRONG – Hulk, puny!” Ha-Ha!

So, in the gift of exhortation shared with me, “Get with the believing community as often as you can, in the Spirit’s grace, and participate in the obedience and gifting of Jesus in the Spirit (a gifting discovered in the community and confirmed by the community!)” In doing this you will experience the truth of being only strong and not weak, and you would encourage others to do so. You will experience more of the “I am’s” and less of the “I am not’s”. By being responsive to Jesus in His responsibility over the Church you’ll promote less of the negative energy that perverts community, and your believing community really will be strong and not weak!

The only possible weakness appears to be our blinding sin of faith (in something other than Jesus!) that keeps you and I from participating in his obedience as often as we should! But thank the Father he has adopted and embraced us in Jesus and the Spirit in such a way that he will never let any of us go! Now that’s our Greatest Strength! Ha-Ha!

Share this:

Like this:

Related

2 comments so far

That is why we come back from church and bible studies much stronger and more alive than when we go to church! We participate and share our strengths and receive the strengths from others.

We share the strength of God who shared those strengths with us. If God shared 1/100th of his strength to each individual, then one hundred of us together can share in the whole strength of God. But we know that God is bigger than that even.

We are looking forward to The Shack Conference, because I know it may be my personal strength building time and “revival” so to speak.

I understand what you are saying Boyd! I can appreciate that we want to, as much as possible, have the same kinds of participative experiences in a larger gathering as we do in the smaller gathering because of its tremendous benefits! Look forward to working that out more in the Holy Spirit with you!

I am sure you will be strengthened in the Gospel at The Shack conference and that you will strengthen others in return! Look forward to seeing you there!